


Unfinished Symphony

by ledgerian



Category: Joker (2019)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-18
Updated: 2020-01-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:22:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22297753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ledgerian/pseuds/ledgerian
Summary: A one shot of Arthur and Sophie.ps. I love GiGi baby but she's not in the story.
Relationships: Sophie Dumond/Arthur Fleck
Comments: 17
Kudos: 23





	1. Chapter 1

_Like a soul without a mind_   
_In a body without a heart_   
_I'm missing every part_

"Does the idea of me excite you?" He bent at the knees, peering into her face. "Hmm?"  
Sophie shook her head.  
"When I watched you, you would look away. I always wondered what you were thinking. I wanted to get into your head."  
She wrung her hands, her heart beating her down.   
"Now you want to get into mine."  
What was it? she thought, as the tears rimmed her eyes.  
Why did she want to see that side of him?   
What did it say about her? 

He danced with her. And she held on, gripping the back of his waistcoat as they slightly swayed. She could feel his hardness. His body betrayed him but his face said differently. Expressionless, solely observing her.   
She kissed him, chaste.   
He did nothing. He let her go, lighting a cigarette as he paced. He was mostly looking at his feet, at every step. Now and then he would glance up. She stood there awkwardly as his eyes found her again.   
"What are you thinking?"  
He said nothing. Until he finished his cigarette and rushed to her, flinching when she felt the wall behind her. He leaned into her, breathing her in.  
"You're afraid, Sophie."  
"I'm not."  
He smiled, his eyes like glass. "But you are."

Sophie?   
_She dropped her eyes to the back of his head, as it lay upon her lap. He talked in his sleep. Or rather, always called out for her. Running her fingers through his soft hair, burying her needy fingers in._  
 _When he eventually woke, he sat up, to himself and rubbed his eyes with the cuffs of his sweater._  
 _"Arthur?"_  
 _He slowed his movement and turned his head, looking up. As if, for a moment, he had forgotten she was there._  
 _He blinked before he nervously smiled, glancing down at his body._  
 _"I'm sorry I fell asleep."_  
 _She gave him a peculiar look, a smirk at her lips._  
 _"Would you like some coffee?"_  
 _He stared at her, a smile creeping at the corner of his lips and nodded. "That would be nice. Thank you."_  
 _He shyly watched her leave the room, his eyes faltering towards the entryway of the kitchen, hearing her moving about._  
 _He could hear faint music, her humming softly. She reappeared and he looked away, sitting up._  
 _She handed him the cup._  
 _"Thanks, Sophie." he whispered, glancing at her bare legs. He cleared his throat, taking a deliberate sip._  
 _"I'm making breakfast. Would you like some?"_  
 _His eyes oscillated as he thought about it and shook his head._  
 _"All coffee and nicotine, huh?"_  
 _He cast his eyes, abashed._  
 _She sighed, shaking her head. She was about to leave when she came up behind him. He stilled then felt himself dissolving when she bent close, leaving a kiss on the side of his neck._  
 _"You let me take care of you." she murmured into his ear._  
 _He felt the blood rushing to his face and nodded even though his brain couldn't even process what she had said._

 _He lay next to her in bed, watching her. His arms folded upon his chest, his fingers absently scratching his shirt sleeve._  
 _"What's on your mind?"_  
 _"You." he said quietly._  
 _She touched his forehead lightly._  
 _"You like this? With me?" He had asked so softly, it felt like it stayed in his head, merely a thought._  
 _She nodded. "I do." She slipped her clasped hands beneath her profile. "But-"_  
 _His stomach dropped. "But… what?" His eyes desperately searched her face for a hint, anything._  
 _"Something is missing."_  
 _Arthur tried his best to get back into his head. Overturning thought, sorting through the in-betweens._  
 _"You're so funny, Arthur. I can literally hear you thinking."_  
 _"What am I thinking then, hmm?" He lifted his chin, a smile tugging at his lips._  
 _She leaned onto an elbow and grinned, touching his cheek. Her touch seemed to sear his skin._  
 _His breath faltered as she leaned close, her lips brushing his._  
 _And his heart skipped a beat as she pulled back. He immediately grabbed her hand. She seemed to be floating away and if this moment happened or not, he couldn't bear to have it slip away._  
 _No one has ever kissed him before. Not willingly, not on the cheek, never ever it seemed. Now that he thought about it, no one has ever stayed long enough to even have a whole conversation, much less invite him into their home._  
 _"Have you ever been kissed?"_  
 _He swallowed. He didn't even notice he was now upon his back. And that she was sort of leaning onto his chest, her warmth and sweetness making him lightheaded._  
 _"It's ok. It doesn't define your worth, Arthur." she said quietly. Her eyes fell to his lips. It may have seemed like a crazy thought but she looked like she wanted to kiss him again._  
 _He blinked and murmured his response, averting his gaze._  
 _She cupped his face, forcing him to look at her. Her eyes were lit, full of mirth._  
 _"I'm your first?"_  
 _His stomach flipped. And he winced, placing his hand there. A first! He always nose-dived into everything, because it's so constant, to have everything in dirt before he unburied it._  
 _"Can I have seconds?" His voice small, eyes wide._  
 _She giggled and came close. They experimented. Explored each other. She lead and he followed. Sometimes they traded places. She liked his trepidation. His curiosity of her._  
 _He would spend what seemed like hours on one part of her body. And to think they had not even gone as far as undressing. He seemed content either way. And he would look up, hair slightly mussed due to her restless fingers and look onto her in quiet wonder._  
 _You have me, Arthur. You can have me, she thought._  
 _She ached for him._  
 _He would hug her, his embrace suffocating, his head on her chest._  
  
Was this really you? Deep in the heart of you? My Arthur?  
What does it say about me? 

Now that I know what you are capable of? 

You seek me out in the shadows of you. Like a secret you uncover me.   
Sophie tried hard to keep her eyes on him yet when he neared, she looked away. Like she could get away with it if she wasn't looking, as if it was ok.   
Was it?   
He held her face, leaning in and kissed her.   
"Nothing can hurt me anymore." he said. 

If I disappeared, would it hurt?   
Hurt you as much as it would for me?   
You carry his scars. You bear his sadness.  
When they moved seamlessly into the dark of her bedroom, kissing without stopping, she welcomed it.   
Despite how her heart beat against her chest, wanting out.  
But you taste like him.   
I never told you I was addicted to the taste of you.   
I fell in love with you.   
I still do, right? I'm here with you. Like this.   
She let his jacket fall to the floor.   
And her fingers ghosted over his face.   
  
I miss you, she thought. 

He kissed her again, his nimble fingers unfastening the buttons of her dress.   
She mimicked him, exposing his rail thin chest, her fingers trailing over where bruises had once been.   
"You are so new." she whispered.   
His eyes grew serious, his hands grazing her upper arms.   
He lay down with her.   
She would wake with him sitting at her armchair in the corner of her room, fully dressed again, smoking, always watching her. Through the veil of her tears, his painted face like a watercolour, fading with the close of her eyes.  
And he would go without saying goodbye, leaving behind remnants of himself on her.   
She would stare at her reflection. Her mouth in a straight line, her heart in her throat.   
With the red on her lips, she would smear it upward, making a faint smile.   
Always.   
"You're so fucked, Sophie." she whispered to her reflection. 

Sometimes she lingered against the open frame of the kitchen, aimlessly stirring her coffee, her eyes fixed on the couch where they had sat for hours. Mindless conversation. Meanderings leading into kissing, always exploring.   
_"You eat with me today." she had said one morning as he shyly made his way in, buttoning up his shirt. And she had fed him cereal. He would chew thoughtfully, a nervous smile at his lips. She kissed a droplet of milk off his chin._  
 _"I don't mind this." he had said. And nuzzled her neck. When he got all shy, she did it to him. Entrapping kisses into his most ticklish spots._  
 _It had become their thing. Standing together, sharing her food. Kissing and nuzzling._  
 _He would doze off, fisting the hem of her dress, his head on her lap, her fingers in his hair._  
 _Listening to Murray, swing._  
 _They would dance as he hummed in her ear._  
 _"You make me forget it all." he said one night. And she had reached out a hand, entwining his fingers with hers. Kissed the top of his head._  
 _"I'm here, Arthur. I will always be here."_  
 _He had looked at her with so many emotions running across his face, his lips moving but nothing coming out._  
 _"Sometimes you don't have to say anything. It's ok."_  
 _And he had buried his face into her neck, hugging her._

"Why do you come back?"  
"You said you will always be here."

I fell in love with Arthur.   
Where is he?   
Is he the blood running down from your nose?   
When she wiped him down, he was careful not to burn her with his cigarette. When she wiped the blood off his collarbone, she pressed lightly into the wishbone. Was he there?   
When she wiped down toward his chest, feeling his heart beneath her fingers, was he in there?   
Where does Arthur hide? Where do you keep him?   
He always stared at her in his silence.   
"Who are you?"  
He shyly looked away, smiling.   
"You still dance." she said, folding the bloody napkin.   
"I do." he whispered.   
There. There was Arthur. She felt her eyes burn as she threw the napkin into the trash bin. 

_"I was thinking we can catch a late show." she said as she made her way towards the kitchen. She heard him squeak behind her and start fumbling about._   
_"Arthur?"_   
_He was on hands and knees, peeking under the couch._   
_"I lost my button."_   
_She smiled, coming around. "I may have some-"_   
_He was halfway under. "Found it." he grunted breathlessly after a beat._   
_She went into her bedroom in search of her sewing kit while he went to his flat for a sweater._   
_He came back in moments later in his burgundy sweater, pulling the cuffs over his hands. He looked up distractedly and his breath hitched when he noticed her cross-legged on the floor. He crawled over to her, laying his head on her lap. She took her time, accessing the rest of the buttons to make sure they were secure, glancing down at him every now and then. Playing hide and seek with their eyes. She blushed, feeling a throb between her legs as she caught a whiff of his cologne._   
_"You are so beautiful, Sophie."_   
_She wrinkled her nose, pin-pricking her finger in her nervousness. She brought her finger to her mouth, sucking on it._   
_"I think you're beautiful, Arthur."_   
_He laughed nervously, his hand at his throat. The spell didn't last long though._   
_She bent over and kissed him. The upside down kisses calmed him._   
_And started to hand him the shirt but pulled back when he reached up._   
_He raised his eyes to her._   
_"I want a proper kiss."_   
_He tentatively sat up, brushing aside the hair from his face and kissed her._   
_"Do it again." she said in a daze, closing her eyes._   
_And he did, again and again._   
_She threw the shirt towards the couch and slipped her arms around his neck, wanting this forever._

He smoked ildy, leaning against her vanity table, watching her touch herself.  
Sophie laughed, giving up, her hand over her eyes.   
"I'm not a saint." she said, swallowing her guilt.

 _And he had come over her,_ _his body full of bruises._  
 _She led him towards her sex. Touching his face lightly, silently encouraging him._  
 _He was tense, observant, unknown to himself. He lapped at her like a kitten._  
 _She felt a shiver through her body._  
 _"You will get the hang of it." she said quietly thereafter, tucking some of his hair behind an ear._  
 _He looked at her, eyebrows raised. "I could try again?"_  
 _She cherished his naïveté._  
 _"Arthur, you have me." she whispered, kissing his forehead, his nose, his lips._  
 _They lay together until sleep claimed them. Only for her to wake hours later, Arthur kissing her stomach, her knees._  
 _He wanted her again and she parted her legs wider, her fingers in his hair, grasping when he got rough._  
 _She was panting when he came back up and she stared at him impassionedly, her trembling hands cradling his face._  
 _"You practiced in your sleep?"_  
 _He hid his smile away and settled next to her, gripping her tight, his head tucked under her chin._  
 _She closed her eyes, his breath trailing the shell of her ear._  
 _"I'm happy you let me." he said quietly._  
 _She turned her head, her lips brushing his lashes, tickling her senses. She gently pushed him onto his back as she turned to her side, her head against her hand._  
 _"You make me happy." she said, as a matter of fact._  
 _"I do?"_  
 _"You do."_  
 _He smiled, looking away._  
 _"That needs to be my wake-up call though. No more alarm clock." she said and kissed his shoulder._  
 _He giggled. "Sophie!" and covered his eyes._

He let the cigarette dangle from his lips as he turned her palm upward, tracing a heart there. Her eyes stung, her throat tight.

_"The kids enjoyed this. They made so many and hung them all up at the hospital."_   
_Sophie unraveled the paper cutouts of clown faces. "That's so sweet, Arthur."_   
_He shrugged, sheepish. "They told me to give these to my friend. My special friend, they said. Two of them-" he pointed to one with hearts for cheeks. "And this one here-" he pointed to another clown face with a heart for lips and leaned in like a secret. "...I think they caught on."_   
_Her heart somersaulted and she pulled him in for a kiss. "I love my gift."_   
_Sophie jumped up and sat down on his lap, grinning mischievously when the chair creaked._   
_"Think it will hold?"_   
_He glanced to either side of them, his innocence playing out so obvious that she giggled. "There's a lot of floor space if it doesn't."_   
_She straddled him and kissed him endlessly._

_He was trembling so much, vibrating like a little bird beside her.  
"It's ok, Arthur."  
"No. No, Sophie, it's not." He groaned, a hand covering his face.   
"You still turn me on."  
He peeked at her through his fingers.   
She smiled.  
He kissed her but not for long as he groaned again, turning away. "I can't. I'm too embarrassed, Sophie." he mumbled.   
"Don't you hide away."  
She pulled him back and held his face, burrowing into him, noses bumping as she looked into his eyes.  
"There is always a first time for everything."  
"Yea, but did it have to be so bad?" he whispered, widening his eyes at the afterthought.   
"Arthur, do you need a play by play, from my perspective?"  
"Maybe tomorrow. Or in a few hours. Or two."  
By the end of that week, he had her curling her toes and crying out his name in tears.   
"Babe, I hurt you."  
"Shush, Sophie, it's ok, it's ok."  
You're used to it, right? she thought. His attempts to comfort her was futile as she took over.   
She kissed the scratches on his back, kissed the love bites on his neck.   
"That was like the best sex I ever had."  
He covered his mouth. "What…? Are you… Sophie!"  
"Am I what, Arthur?" She tickled the side of his neck with her fingers.   
He closed his eyes.   
"The best ever." he breathed. _

Sophie had fallen asleep on the couch, holding onto a sketch he had done for her. The pounding on doors, a voice booming and echoing down the hall jolted her awake. She stared wild-eyed, her breath catching, her heart on fire.  
The Joker has escaped.   
"And it's the last place they would be looking." he had told her as he placed a brown paper bag down by the front door.  
He looked like an angel with a dirty secret, in his white institutional clothes, the droplets of blood on the shirt making her nauseous.  
"Arthur," she murmured.   
He had made a sound of discontent, his brow furrowing. As if he didn't recognise that name.  
She had enough time deluding herself. All that time locked up while she toyed with the idea of him. Of _him_. Joker. That he had been there, with her.  
She mentally chastised herself. All she had was memories.  
If not Arthur, then who?   
He smiled, caressing her cheek. 

"I couldn't stop thinking about you."

She looked down as he slipped a paper heart into her hand and shook her head as he turned away. Numbly she watched as he picked up the brown paper bag, glancing over his shoulder with a smile. She felt deafened, lightheaded when the door closed behind him, the paper heart unraveling to the floor as she let go.


	2. Dissolved Girl

He moved around her, close yet so far. He would get in her way, make her falter, entrapping her in smoke rings. Watching as she tried to rearrange her things, pretending not to notice how she would carry five books at a time and put one back, pick at the thread to one of her dresses as if it were a distraction, making something to eat but drinking coffee instead, slowing the day with her backward movements as if the day would get away from her and sleep would be an excuse not to leave.

 _They climbed onto the roof of their building once night fell and sat together, chasing stars.  
"This matters," she whispered, staring at him. It took him a second to force his eyes away from the sky. His eyes crinkled at the sides as a smile spread his lips and did a double take. "Yea," he said softly. "I'm happy you asked me to come along."   
I would follow you anywhere and everywhere, Arthur, she thought and leaned her head against his shoulder. She felt him stiffen and she reached out for his hand, lacing her fingers with his._ _  
_

_She had rushed from work, blindly making her way back home. Arthur had fallen asleep on the couch and she knelt down in silence, her heart full. He was on his side, hands fisted, yet his face was serene, in spite of the faint bruising on his cheek. She brushed aside a strand of hair from his forehead. He deserved to dream, have peace._   
_She bent, resting her head beside his._   
_Breathe with me._

_Arthur sat on the counter as Sophie cooked, reading one of her magazines, his brow furrowed.  
Eyeing him over the rim of her glass as she drowned her butterflies in red wine.   
He made a disgruntled sound and she lowered her glass, laughing. "Arthur," she sighed. "Not your style, huh?"  
He scrunched up his nose and placed it aside, having had enough.   
And shyly beckoned her to come closer. She slowly made her way in-between his legs. He sucked in a shaky breath as his eyes dropped to the front of her dress.   
"Do we have to eat?" his eyes fluttered, touching off each button.  
Sophie placed the glass down beside him and nodded, playfully scratching at his stomach. "If we plan on staying in."   
He nervously narrowed his eyes as he caught her sly grin, his mouth twitching. She lowered the collar of his shirt, kissing his throat. "But you might change my mind," she professed against his collarbone. _

He stood at the foot of her bed, dark, palpable, his eyes on her bare legs, tangled in the sheets. He extended a hand and she took it, allowing him to lead her out of dream.   
"Remember?"   
He hummed in her ear as they swayed.   
Her tears falling as she drew her arms around him.   
You smell like _him_.   
When she pulled back, her eyes glazed over. _  
"Arthur," she murmured.  
And he had a wavering smile on his beautiful face but as he noticed her wet eyes, he grew concerned.  
"Sophie, why are you crying?"   
She laughed. "Am I?" And wiped at her eyes, feeling foolish. She gripped him, not wanting to let go.   
"Are you ok?"   
"I'm just happy, Arthur. I'm just happy with you."   
"It's still your birthday."  
She smiled, knowing it was way past midnight and it was long gone but it didn't feel any different. He was right. It still was. She rested her head against his chest, her tears seeping into his shirt.   
_

_"And if we turn into pumpkins, we eat other."  
She laughed. "Arthur! How?"  
"Pumpkin pie."   
She giggled, her hands in his hair. He was so soft.   
"I can't take credit for that though." He glanced at her with a lopsided grin. He inhaled deeply, momentarily losing himself in his thoughts. "I love those kids." he said quietly, after a beat. "Always teaching me things." His eyes absently stared at the telly. "So small and they know so much." He looked at her expectantly. "We should make them a pumpkin pie."   
She grinned, nodding. "I like that, Arthur."   
He smiled, looking back at the movie.   
She rested her head on his back.   
"When's the last time you had pumpkin pie?"   
"Never."   
He turned his head to the side. "But there's a first time for everything, right?"   
"Right."   
Sophie sighed, kissing the back of his head.   
"Speaking of firsts for the day…"  
She got off the couch and tugged at the hem of her sweater.  
He stared at her legs.   
"Arthur?"   
"Hmm?" he raised his eyes to her face.   
"Bedroom."  
And grabbed his hand, pulling him up. "Now."_

_She breathed with him, as he slept beside her, his head on her shoulder. Sometimes he held her hand in sleep.  
I love you, Arthur.   
But she hid those words away. Never saying it out loud. _

_Would it have made a difference?  
How many times did he walk out that door, those words at the tip of her tongue? Those words parting her lips, desperate to get out, to wrap him up and never let go.   
You are loved.  
"Come back."   
"I will." he would always say with a smile. _

"Arthur, where are you?"  
 _He had been sitting alone in the bedroom, writing. She lay herself down on the bed and rested her chin on his thigh. He smiled at her. She made a snatching gesture against his mouth, as if she was stealing his smile.  
"Maybe I can help," she teased, not betting on it.   
His face distorted, grateful it seemed, for her offer then he hesitatingly shook his head.   
"Then it… becomes your joke, Sophie."   
He seemed regretful after he said it.   
And she cocked her head, following the seam of his trouser leg with a finger. "Or maybe you can read them to me." she stretched slightly, peeking at his notebook.  
She gasped, sitting up. "You cheat!"   
She tickled him and he fumbled to get away, laughing.   
"Let me see it."   
He fell back sideways against the headboard, catching himself from falling off the bed. He brushed his hair from his face and hugged the notebook to his chest.  
"Sophie…"  
She got up on her knees and her heart skipped a beat as his eyes regarded her body.   
"Please?" she pouted.   
He lamented breathlessly, closing his eyes.   
"Please, Arthur," she whispered into his ear.   
He handed her the notebook. And turned his head away, drawing up his knees.   
"You did this?"   
She regarded the sketch in deference, with a heart ready to burst at the seams.   
"It's me," she whispered.   
"Yea… it's… I'm just-"  
She leaned into his knees, with a smile that could break her face. "Look at me."  
He looked at her, timidly and she cupped his face, dispelling any shadow of doubt.   
I love you, she thought.   
She kissed him. "I love it," she said against his lips. _

_He would wake, soft, coy, the last of his dream hanging off his lids as he breathed with her.  
"You watched me sleep," he murmured, stretching slightly.   
Sophie gave him an eskimo kiss. "Always."   
He would rub his face, yawning into the fold of his arm. Always a hint of a smile at his lips, playing.   
They would sit together, sharing her cup of coffee.   
"Maybe we can go to the diner later."   
"Yea, that sounds nice, Sophie."  
She played with the cuff of his shirt, an excuse to touch, kiss his wrist, his hand. Always saying, never doing. She liked it that way. She liked staying home.   
_

Sophie sucked the drop of whiskey off her thumb, cursing under her breath. Sitting this moment out, having such a terrible miss of him. It was searing, painful. As if time had been snapped in half, a life boxed in. There was no way out, no way out of her skin.   
She turned her head towards the door, hearing footsteps in the hall. They seem to stop before her door. And she held her breath. They continued on and she closed her eyes.   
"Come back," she whispered. 

_She was lying down on the couch, her head on his lap. His fingers ever so lightly touched the side of her neck, a lulling morse code, keeping her afloat._   
_And she had raised her eyes to him, running a finger along his jaw, removing the trace of white makeup. His eyes flickered from the telly to her face._   
_"Hey," she said softly._   
_His mouth twitched. "Hey."_

She slept in a sweater he left behind. Smelling him on her. And she would hug herself, imagining him doing so.

_"Arthur? Is everything ok?"_   
_"What?" he glanced at her, at her hand on his knee. "Was it shaking?" he sighed heavily. "Wait here."_   
_He rushed out and fumbled about in the bedroom. Sophie bit her lip as he came back flustered, eyes dark._   
_"So?"_   
_"It can wait. Just… just give me a minute."_   
_That minute turned into an hour when his leg started shaking again and he left the room without another word._   
_He reappeared with trepidation, his hands clasped behind him._   
_"Sophie?"_   
_She was already staring at him. And he sheepishly looked down._   
_"Can you come here please?"_   
_Sophie placed her cup on the coffee table and neared him._   
_"Can… can you turn your palm up?"_   
_She did as he asked._   
_"Close your... no, wait-" He placed a hand over her eyes. "You might peek."_   
_She giggled. "Arthur!"_   
_"I will let you know when."_   
_He cleared his throat._   
_"Ok."_   
_He removed his hand and stood there, uncertain, as her eyes fell to the crane on her palm._   
_And reclaimed his spot on the couch, avoiding her. With her head in the clouds and a volcanic heart, she plopped down beside him._   
_"You are so full of surprises, Arthur."_   
_He said nothing for a while, openly mortified. And she caressed his arm tenderly, to quell his disquietude. It finally stirred him._   
_"The kids at the hospital taught me months ago. I've been practicing during my breaks at work."_   
_He rubbed the nape of his neck as he sat back._   
_"They told me if I make a thousand cranes, my wish comes true."_   
_"Oh, really, Arthur?"_   
_Arthur bowed his head, brushing off faint ash on his trouser leg. "Can you imagine, Sophie? A thousand! This one took me a week."_   
_He seemed despondent thinking about it._   
_She stared at the crane in her hands. No matter how she fixed it, it remained asymmetrical. It was the most beautiful crane ever, she thought._   
_"Today's my birthday. Isn't it a coincidence?"_   
_"What is?"_   
_"Speaking of wishes, mine came true so this…" she held it up. "is fate."_   
_He started smiling. "You made your wish already? We haven't even touched your cupcake."_   
_"I made my wish the second I opened my eyes this morning. And there you were, right beside me."_   
_He stared at her, his expression fixed. Then he raised his eyebrows after it sank in. "I'm... your wish?"_   
_She bit her lip, nodding._   
_His eyes started to narrow first before his head caught on and he covered his face with a hand as he turned. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. He peeked over his shoulder at her. "Really?" he asked in disbelief, with the air knocked out of him that he seemed to shrink more._   
_She nodded again. "Really, Arthur."_   
_She untucked her legs and came close, peeking back over his shoulder, kissing his nose. "Like I said, it's fate."_   
_They stared at each other for what seemed like ages._   
_"You are the best thing that's ever happened to me, Sophie."_

_"Babe?"  
She simply heard the telly, nothing else, nothing, until he cleared his throat.  
She peeked around the wall, to see him sitting up, looking in her direction, utterly confused.   
"Arthur?"   
At once he stood up, apprehensively and rushed to her.  
She wiped sprinkles off her finger as he came up beside her and gingerly eased a cupcake out of the box. "I figured you can take one for your mother."   
"Aw, that's sweet, Sophie." He came close, kissing her cheek. She_ _turned her head to steal a kiss from his lips.  
"Come back," she whispered, brushing her hands together.   
He smiled, glancing over his shoulder. "I will." _

_Sophie shook her head. "Makes you wonder what he was thinking-" she felt slight movement behind her then heard a wince. She looked back and saw a miserable expression on his face.  
"Arthur?"   
He stared at his hands for a moment longer, defeated then raised a ball of thread. "This happened."   
She sat up, her brow furrowing as she looked at it then followed the single thread still attached to his sweater. She gathered it in her hands. "Why did you keep pulling?"  
"I didn't think it would get that long."   
She handed him the ball of thread and started to unfasten the buttons, helping him out of it.   
"I can fix it."   
His face lit up like the sun. "Can you?"   
She smiled, nodding as she smoothed down the collar of his white shirt.   
He suddenly kissed her on the lips. Sophie pulled back in a daze and placed the sweater on the opposite end of the couch. She climbed onto his lap, gripping his face.   
"I'm sorry, Arthur, what were you saying?"_

_They were in bed. He was leaning against her raised thigh, his chin atop her knee. He would leave kisses here and there, sometimes in a straight line, others in scattershot. She watched him, smoking.  
She let him have a drag of her cigarette.   
"What are you thinking of?"   
"You," she said.   
He rubbed his face against her thigh in shyness, his lashes making her skin run.   
He eventually settled down next to her.   
"Can we stay like this forever, Sophie?"   
She nodded, coming over him to mash the cigarette in the ashtray on the nightstand. And rested her head against his chest, looking up at him. His heart was beating so fast.   
"Would you stay with me forever, Arthur?"  
He narrowed his eyes downward, nodding. "Yes, Sophie, I would. If you let me."  
"I let you."   
He looked away, towards the sound of rain, smiling. She let her fingers spiderwalk up his chest, playing with a button of his shirt.   
"Would you ever get bored of me though? Forever is a long time, Arthur."   
"What comes after?" _

She arched her back, her fingers trembling, wet, needy and ripped the cry from her throat. The smell of cigarette smoke stark and bitter to her psyche.   
She felt like she was floating at first but came back crashing down, his eyes capturing her.   
She ignored him, sitting there at the armchair and brought Arthur's sweater close, burying her face within in, breathing him in deep, his scent so familiar it made her bones ache.   
_Arthur._

"I didn't ask you to come back."   
He neared the bed, sitting down by her bare legs.   
Eyes cast, smoking in thought. And exhaled slowly, looking at her.   
He handed her the cigarette.   
"I never left."  
She stared at his painted face until she was forced to blink, her eyes watering.

**Author's Note:**

> This story came about after listening to Hooverphonic's orchestra version of Massive Attack's Unfinished Sympathy.  
> https://youtu.be/gXePv_8ipqk  
> Other songs that inspired this work: Massive Attack's 'Dissolved Girl'  
> Placebo vs London Grammar mashup 'Grace & Downfall' (Running Up That Hill) by Fissunix


End file.
